My inpatient claim is overlapping a home health episode with the same date(s) of service. How can I resolve this?
A: Claims for inpatient hospital and skilled nursing facility (SNF) services have priority over claims for home health services, as beneficiaries cannot receive home care while they are institutionalized. Beneficiaries cannot be institutionalized and receive home care simultaneously.
• Verify dates of service on your claim
• If dates of service are incorrect, correct your claim and resubmit.
• If dates of service are correct, it is recommended that you contact the home health agency and ask them to correct their claim.
• Edit exclusions:
• The inpatient claim admission date is the same as the home health agency transfer/discharge date
• The inpatient claim discharge date is the same as the home health agency admission date
• The inpatient claim dates are between the occurrence span code 74 ‘From’ date and the day following the occurrence span code ‘Through’ date
Q: How do I bill my claims when a patient revokes or elects hospice coverage during his/her inpatient stay?
A: Electing or revoking the Medicare hospice benefit is the beneficiary’s choice. The patient or his/her representative may elect or revoke Medicare hospice care at any time in writing. The hospice cannot revoke the beneficiary’s election, nor request or demand that the patient revoke his/her election. If the patient revokes his/her hospice election, Medicare coverage of all benefits waived when hospice care was initially elected resumes under the traditional Medicare program. The information below provides a general guidance on how to submit claims.
When a beneficiary elects hospice during an inpatient stay:
• Bill traditional Medicare for period before hospice election
• Patient status code is 51 (discharge to hospice medical facility)
• Discharge date is the effective date of hospice election
• Bill hospice for period of care after hospice election
When a patient revokes hospice during an inpatient stay:
• Bill hospice for period up to hospice revocation
• Bill traditional Medicare for period after hospice revocation
• Admission date is same as the hospice revocation date
• Statement from date is the same as the hospice revocation date
Q: How do I bill my claims when a patient revokes or elects hospice coverage during his/her inpatient stay?
A: Electing or revoking the Medicare hospice benefit is the beneficiary’s choice. The patient or his/her representative may elect or revoke Medicare hospice care at any time in writing. The hospice cannot revoke the beneficiary’s election, nor request or demand that the patient revoke his/her election. If the patient revokes his/her hospice election, Medicare coverage of all benefits waived when hospice care was initially elected resumes under the traditional Medicare program. The information below provides a general guidance on how to submit claims.
When a beneficiary elects hospice during an inpatient stay:
• Bill traditional Medicare for period before hospice election
• Patient status code is 51 (discharge to hospice medical facility)
• Discharge date is the effective date of hospice election
• Bill hospice for period of care after hospice election
When a patient revokes hospice during an inpatient stay:
• Bill hospice for period up to hospice revocation
• Bill traditional Medicare for period after hospice revocation
• Admission date is same as the hospice revocation date
• Statement from date is the same as the hospice revocation date
